Dr. White,
Over the past week, the Texas Legislature has been considering a bill that would allow the concealed carry of handguns on college campuses. I understand that this is an extremely delicate issue that has caused much controversy in the past. It is clear in the article, however, that SMU has decided to take a stance against this legislation. As a student, I strongly urge you and the rest of SMU's administrative faculty to reconsider such a position.
On an open campus such as ours, it is hardly unimaginable that someone could endanger our community. On other campuses, such as those of Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, the ideal of a "gun-free zone" led to an ultimately defenseless community held captive by an intruder. The victims there were[STRIKE], quite literally, "fish in a barrel."[/STRIKE] left totally defenseless as a result of laws that prohibit the carry of concealed firearms on campus. I'm often asked in surveys and by prospective students if I feel safe at SMU. The answer is "yes, I feel safe." But I remind myself that the victims of school shootings across the country also felt safe just minutes before their murder. I say this to scare neither you nor our community, but to show that no college campus is immune from attack.
We are fortunate to be protected by several competent and attentive police departments. But, as the saying goes, "When seconds count, the police are only minutes away." We saw just how quickly Seung-Hui Cho devastated the Virginia Tech community. Our brave police officers cannot be everywhere all the time. We cannot expect our police officers to be at the scene of an attack when it first occurs. To do so would be placing a bet on the lives of our students and our faculty. We cannot rely on SMU Aware to protect our community when SMU Aware is a reactionary defense; it requires an attack to occur and be reported before it can ever spread the warning. This is not to say that such programs such as SMU Aware are not important - indeed they are a strong step in the right direction. Rather, what I hope is realized is that the next step is to allow our students and faculty the right to protect each other.
There are schools in this country that allow students to carry concealed firearms on campus (consider naming them, e.g. Utah?). I assure you that many people at these schools felt similar concerns held by SMU's administration. But to their fortunate surprise, there has not been a single incident at these schools. There have not been the dreaded shootouts over a failing grade. There have not been angry students waving guns in class. There have not been accidental discharges in class. It is upsetting to me that SMU's administration voices these fears while the facts strongly suggest that these fears are totally unwarranted. It shows a lack of trust in our student body. I resent the idea that our students are not capable of being responsible with firearms. How can we trust our students to go out into the world and create magnificent progress if we cannot trust them to be responsible and safe with a firearm?
[STRIKE]I recognize and appreciate the concern that firearms on college campuses would only lead to more gun violence. I cannot, however, hide my own fears;[/STRIKE] (consider removing because the facts suggest that these fears are unfounded)I trust that my concerns too will be acknowledged, appreciated, and considered when SMU takes such stances against Representative Driver's bill.
I appreciate your time and consideration of this letter. I trust that you understand that my disagreement with the university's statement is solely rooted in promoting our common goal of creating a safer learning environment for each member of our beloved Mustang family.
Regards,
CJ Camerato
